Sunday, June 01, 2008


We returned this evening from a trip to our daughter Ale's home in Lillooet BC. Coming back was far easier than going. We went via Whistler/Pemberton on Friday because we left mid afternoon and the traffic on Highyway 1 (the other way to Lillooet via Hope) would have been congested. It was no better as the highway had red pilons (50kph work area) all the way to Whistler. Then we took a wrong turn at Mt Curry and ended up in Darcy, a Native Canadian reserve. We made it to Lillooet two hours late.

But the two days were full of interesting events and meals. Some of the pictures will appear at a later blog.

Coming back I knew what Rosemary was thinking. She was wondering about our two cats Toby and Plata (above). She was savouring getting to our front door and seeing them looking out on the vertical glass windows on either side of it. We deposited Rebecca and Lauren at their house and soon we were home. Rosemary got in bed and I went to the garden to see what had grown in the interval. Removing some of the leaves with black spot on my roses is a pleasant and relaxing activity. The cats were on either side of Rosemary and I brought her a scoop of Argentine dulce de leche in a little bowl. I relished my strong tea made from good Vancouver tap water. The tea in Lillooet tastes terrible. The water is alkaline and brews a tea as bad as the one I had in London hotels.


Lillooet seems far already and Rosemary has settled in with the cats. So much of our life is based on shared memories. A few months back Lauren drew a cat. We asked her which cat it was. She showed it to us. The stuffed cat was given to Lauren's aunt, our eldest daughter Ale by her godfather Andrew Taylor some 37 years ago. If Lauren coloured it with a bit more orange it has to all to do with their own house cat. It is an orange cat the Hilary named Raúl after her own Mexican godfather Raúl Guerrero Montemayor.

In Lillooet I spotted picture frames, mirrors, vases and Mexican pots given to us originally by either Raúl or Andrew. Somehow Ale had remembered where they came from and had kept them safe all these years.

Being home is comforting even though we already miss Ale or having Rebecca and Luaren all to ourselves. But the cats somehow step forward and take their place and it feels like home. Ale called to inquire how we had arrived. I am sure that tomorrow in the evening our other daughter, Hilary, will call and give Rosemary a blow by blow description of dinner. Very uncomplicated and very much home.